Tile.



No. 856,231. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

0. M. DU BRAU.

TILE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.3,1906.

awmmtoz v 0122 fij am 7n: NQRRIS FETERS ca., wnsmnmmv. n. c.

OTTO M. DU BRAU, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

A li ti fil d March 3,1906. $eria1N0. 804,060.

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTro M. DU BRAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to the art of facing walls, ceilings and floors and has for its primary object the provision of a tile fashioned to cooperate with other tiles bearing like characteristics whereby they will be practically self sustained when applied thereby to overcome objections inherent in tiles as commonly made with straight or squared ends and sides. The tiles last referred to are held in place simply by the cement or other plastic compound in which they are embedded and when they become loosened there is no means to prevent the withdrawal of the tile from its normal position.

More specifically the invention comprehends a tile having a locking key on its under surface so formed that when embedded in the cement or other substance, a part of the cement will overlie an edge or edges of the key and positively hold the tile permanently in lace.

p The invention still further embraces a tile having a beveled end and side adapted when properly applied to underlie complementary beveled sides and ends of adjoining tiles whereby their mutual effect is to hold each other in place thus minimizing to the great est possible extent the necessity for fastening means such as tacks, nails or screws, or other bonding means.

Tiles possessing the features above outlined are equally applicable to walls, ceilings or floors of wood, plastic or other composition.

The foregoing characteristics of my invention as also other novel details in the construction and arrangement of the several parts thereof will be more fully apparent from the detailed description hereinafter contained when read in connection with the ac companying drawings, forming part hereof and wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

Referringmore specifically to the drawings, Figure 1, represents a fragmentary portion of a wall facing made up by assembling a number of tiles formed 1n keeplng with the present invention Fig. 2, 1s a transverse sectional view showing the manner of securing the tiles in place either upon a wooden or cement base; Fig. 3, is a front elevation of one of the tiles; Fig. 4, is a rear elevation of the same, and, Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the manner in which adjoining tiles interfit to prevent outward separation at the corners.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views A represents the body of the tile which may be formed of any material found desirable for the purpose for which the tile is to be used, the substance from which the tile is made not constituting a part of the present invention. One of the sides a and ends a are beveled outwardly with respect to the face of the tile while the other side and end thereof are beveled inwardly as at a and a, respectively, so that when the tiles are assembled as for instance as shown in Fig. 1, the beveled sides and ends of the adjoining tiles will overlie and underlie each other as the case may be whereby to co-operate in effectually holding each and all of the tiles in place. Owing to the beveling of the edges as just defined it will be appreciated that the tiles may separate in all directions to a limited extent without exhibiting any substantial or unsightly gap or space therebetween inasmuch asthe underlying beveled edges of the tiles will span the spaces incident to such separation and hide the cement, Wood or other base to which the tiles are applied.

On the bottom or back of the tile I form preferably integral therewith What I will term a locking key, the same being represented at B. tangular formation and has a projecting part 1) extending outwardly beyond one of the sides of the tile whereby to support and properly space from the base to which the tiles are applied the overlapping side of the immediately adjoining tile. It Will be noted that this key is on all four of its edges beveled inwardly from its back toward the front thereof whereby when embedded in a cement base such as represented at O in Fig. 2, the cement will entirely surround the key and overlie the beveled edges thereof to effectually lock the tile from movement or displacement in any direction after it has been properly set. The protruding portion of this locking key is also provided With a series of apertures I) though in a great many instances one aperture will suffice, for the re- This key is preferably of rec- IIO ception of a tack or its equivalent to hold the tile from tilting in a forward direction when the tiles are being assembled on a base such as wood, as also to overcome any tendency of the tiles to bulge outwardly or separate when assembled. By this arrangement it will be observed that the use of tacks or other bonding instrumentalities are entirely eliminated when the tile is applied to a cement or equivalent base, and that such bonding instrumentalities are minimized to the greatest possible extent when the tile is applied to bases of wood or similar substance.

Another characteristic of the present invention is the facility with which the tiles may be assembled on a ceiling without the employment of complicated bonding or tying devices, as is obvious.

Heretofore I have referred to a facing made in accordance with my invention as applied to a understood that the overlapping of the beveled edges of these tiles will likewise prevent outward separation thereof Within a given angle or corner depending upon the extent and degree of the beveling, see Fig. 5.

Aside from the merit to be attributed to this invention owing to the capability of the tiles to mutually prevent separation or dislacement after they have been once assembled, the invention contains further merit in that it greatly facilitates the operator in building up the facing. It is a recognized fact that in assembling a large number of tiles of a particular color, some tiles are encountered, which are slightly off-color and if applied would in away mar the general a pearance of the resultant work, but owing to the configuration of the tile, the operator detecting an undesirable tile may immediately withdraw the same by sliding or raising the same upwardly away from the others, before the cement has hardened, and this without interferin in any way with the other tiles previous y set. In other instances it is simply necessary to remove the tack which holds the tile against forward tilting and slide the tile out in an upward direction as stated.

I claim:

1, A tile of the character described having one of its ends and one of its sides beveled outwardly and one of its ends and one of its sides beveled inwardly, and a projecting piece having upwardly beveled edges on the fiat surface only, but I desire it bottom of the tile extending outwardly beyond one of the inwardly beveled edges thereof, said piece being substantially coextensive with said edge whereby to constitute a support for the edge portion of the tile as also a support for the adjoining edge of an adjacent tile, and co-operating with the inwardly beveled edge thereabove to constitute a receiving and undercut groove to interlock with a complementary outwardly beveled edge of said adjacent tile.

2. A tile of the character described having one of its edges beveled inwardly and an opposite edge beveled upwardly, and a projecting piece on the bottom of the tile formed to permit part of a cement base to overlie the same and extending outwardly beyond the inwardly beveled edge thereof, said piece being substantially co-extensive with said edge whereby to constitute a support for the edge portion of the tile as also a support for the adjoining edge of an adjacent tile, and co 0 erating with the inwardly beveled edge t ereabove to constitute a receiving and under-cut groove to interlock with a complementary outwardly beveled edge of said adjacent tile.

3. A tile of the character described having one of its edges cut away inwardly and the opposite edge cut away outwardly, and a narrow projecting piece on the bottom of the tile extending outwardly beyond. the inwardly cut-away edge thereof, said piece being substantially co-extensive with said edge whereby to constitute a support for the edge portion of the tile as also a support for the adjoining edge of an adjacent tile and co-operating with the inwardly cut-away edge thereabove to constitute a receiving and undercut groove to interlock with a comple mentary outwardly cut-aw ay edge of said adjacent tile, and the inner edge of the projecting piece terminating at a point beneath the body of the tile and sufficiently removed from the outwardly cut-away edge thereof to provide a space beneath the body of the tile and between said inner edge of the projecting piece and the outer edge of the projecting piece of an adjoining tile.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO M. DU BRAU.

Witnesses:

Jos. H. MILANS, NELLIE F. ROWE. 

